Lowering device.



K. SZENTIVANYI.

LOWERING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912."

INVENTOR. WAN/1w Sawfly/Wyn 11y 1 A TTORN is UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

KALMAN SZENTIVANYI, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR 0F FIIETEEN ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO RUDOLPH F. HORVATI-I, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

LOWERING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lIar, 26, 1912.

Application filed May 26, 1911. Serial No. 629,624.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, KALMAN SZENTI VANYI, subject of the King of Hungary,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hart ford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLowering Devices, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to collapsible lowering devices especiallydesigned for lowering persons from an elevated position to the ground.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a lowering device thatcan be advantageously used as a fire escape or gang plank, the devicebeing normally held in an inactive position and easily and quicklyshifted to an active position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovetype that can be safely used, easily installed and maintained in anoperatable condition.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in anovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to behereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein I Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the device, and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

The reference numeral 1 denotes, by the way of an example, a support asthe side of a building or ship, and secured to said support at the lowerend thereof are two brackets 2. Pivotally connected to the brackets 2 bypins 3 are angularly disposed braces 4 having the upper ends thereofprovided with longitudinal slots 5. Extending through the slots 5 aretrunnions 6 carried by conveyer frames 7. The outer ends of thetrunnions 6 are pivotally connected to the outer ends of arms 8, saidarms having the inner ends thereof pivotally connected by pins 9 tobrackets 10, carried by the support 1.

Pivotally connected. to the upper ends of the frames 7 by pins 11 arehangers 12,

carried by the outer edge of a platform'l? The inner edge of theplatform 13 is hinged, as at 1 1 to an angle bar 1 5, secured to thesupport 1. The frames 7 adjacent to the upper and lower ends thereof areconnect-ed by transverse rods 16 and revolubly mounted upon these rodsare rollers 17 for an endless conveyer 18. The conveyer 18 has aplurality of transversely arranged equally spaced steps or treads 19that are retained in a horizontal position during the opera tion of theconveyer. The steps are pivotally connected to the conveyer in such amanner that they are always in horizontal position when movingdownwardly from the upper ends of the frames 7 whereby a person cansafely stand upon one of the steps or treads.

To insure perfect safety of a person being conveyed from the platform 13to the lower end of the conveyer, the side frames 7 are provided withpivoted posts 20supporting railings 21, said posts being pivoted to theouter sides of the frames 7 by pins 22 and to the railings 21 by pins 23and 24. The pins 24: are prolonged to engage in the upper slotted endsof the braces 4, whereby the railings 21 will be folded in proximity tothe frames 7, when said frames are raised to a folded position againstthe support 1. To maintain the lowering device in a folded position, thesupport 1 has a hook 25 and adapted to engage this hook is a link 26,carried by the outer ed e of the platform 13.

When the lowering evice is to be placed in an active position, the link26 is removed from the book 25 and the device falls to an activeposition by gravity. It is then only necessary to walk outwardly uponthe platform 13, loosely grip the railings 21 and step on to one of thetreads 19. The weight of the person or other occupants of the conveyeris sufficient to move the same and the person will be immediatelydeposited upon the ground or surface beneath the lower end of thedevice.

What I claim is A foldable lowering device comprising thecombinationwith a support, of a pair of spaced braces pivotallyconnected at their inner ends to said supports and having their outerends provided with relatively long longitudinally-extending slots, apair of spaced arms pivotally connected at one end to said support abovethe pivot of the braces and extending to the slotted outer ends of thebraces, conveyer frames 'arranged between the outer end of saidbraces,trunnions carried by the conveyer frames and extending through theslotted ends of the braces and pivotally mounted in the outer ends ofsaid arms whereby said conveyer frames are pivotally mounted a platformhinged to said support, a pair of hangers carried by the outer end ofsaid platform and pivotally connected to the upper end of said frames,an endless conveyer supported by and of less length than said frames andprovided with treads, foldable railings supported from said frames, andpins carried by said rail and extending through the slotted ends of thebraces whereby the railings are maintained extended when the braces areextended and folded when the braces are shifted toward said supports.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

KALMAN SZENTIVANYI.

WVitnesses JOSEPH S. MORVATT, JOSEPH HOHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

